Former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán made his first official trip abroad since Fidesz lost power in April, travelling to Brussels on Wednesday, 17 June, ahead of a summit of the Patriots for Europe (PfE) group, where he argued that the rise of Europe’s patriotic forces would continue despite his party’s electoral defeat.
Speaking at an international press conference alongside former EU Affairs Minister János Bóka, Orbán insisted that Fidesz’s loss did not alter what he described as the ‘historic’ and ‘almost deterministic’ advance of patriotic movements across Europe.
‘Our election defeat does not change the fact that patriotic forces are advancing across Europe. No single election defeat can change that,’ Orbán said. He added that Fidesz would remain committed to supporting the European patriotic movement and reiterated his long-standing call for reform of the European Union.
The press conference took place on the eve of a Patriots for Europe leaders’ meeting in Brussels. The gathering brings together the leaders of the alliance’s member parties to coordinate their positions ahead of the European Council summit on 18–19 June. Discussions are expected to focus on migration, competitiveness, energy prices, the EU’s long-term budget, and the war in Ukraine.
‘Our election defeat does not change the fact that patriotic forces are advancing across Europe’
Co-founded by Orbán, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, and Austrian Freedom Party leader Herbert Kickl in June 2024, PfE has increasingly sought to present itself as a unified sovereigntist alternative to the traditional Brussels establishment while maintaining flexibility on issues where national interests differ.
Orbán argued that the European Union was performing poorly in several key areas, including competitiveness, energy security, migration, and the handling of the Russo–Ukrainian war. Reflecting on his own time in office, he described it as one of his ‘intellectual failures’ that his government had not found an economic model capable of shielding Hungary from broader European economic difficulties after 2022.
The former prime minister stressed that Fidesz’s electoral defeat would not change PfE’s objectives. According to Orbán, the alliance would continue to strengthen its influence across the continent and would remain represented at the highest level of EU decision-making through Prime Minister Babiš. He said Babiš would represent the patriotic camp’s interests during discussions among EU leaders.
On migration, Orbán reiterated Fidesz’s long-standing opposition to EU migration policies. He claimed Hungary had no migration problem because there were no illegal migrants in the country and again argued that asylum applications should be processed outside EU territory rather than within member states.
Orbán also praised the growing cooperation between centre-right and right-wing forces in the European Parliament, pointing to the recent adoption of tougher EU deportation rules as evidence that conservative parties could successfully challenge the left on migration policy. He argued that the future required ‘greater unity’ among right-wing parties and warned against continued cooperation between centre-right parties and the left.
Addressing domestic issues, Orbán criticized the new government led by Prime Minister Péter Magyar, accusing it of yielding to EU pressure in an attempt to unlock previously frozen EU funds. He nevertheless stressed that securing all available EU funding remained a national interest and argued that Hungary should continue fighting for funds withheld due to his administration’s disputes with the European Commission.
Discussing Ukraine, Orbán claimed that the new Hungarian government had conceded to Brussels and Kyiv on several issues. He reiterated his opposition to Ukraine’s EU accession process, arguing that opening membership negotiations was a mistake, while expressing hope that Kyiv would honour agreements concerning the rights of the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia reached under the new Tisza government.
‘Orbán also praised the growing cooperation between centre-right and right-wing forces in the European Parliament’
Asked whether Fidesz’s defeat had been caused by an excessively pro-Russian image, Orbán rejected the suggestion. ‘No pro-Russian party ran in the Hungarian election,’ he said, insisting that Fidesz had always pursued a ‘pro-Hungarian’ foreign policy and would continue to do so.
Orbán also dismissed speculation that he was planning to relocate to the United States following his electoral defeat. When asked about a recently adopted constitutional amendment preventing him from returning as prime minister, he responded jokingly that he had ‘got off cheaply’ by receiving only a constitutional ban.
Turning to domestic politics, Orbán dismissed the corruption and abuse-of-power allegations that dominated public discourse during the final months of the election campaign and have continued to feature prominently since the new government took office. He argued that many of the accusations would eventually prove to be politically motivated and without substance, claiming that ‘the balloons are bursting one after another’ following the election.
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